Controllable balloon.



Patented Nov. 13,1900,

L. STEVENS. CUNTROLLA BLE BALLOON.

(Application filed. Feb. 7, 19001) 2 Sheets-Sheet I (No Model.)

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No. 66l,826. Patented Nov, l3, I900.

L. STEVENS. I CONTROLLABLE BALLOON.

(Appiication filed Feb. 7, 1900.; (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEO STEVENS OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

C'VONTROLLABLE BAL'LOON.

SPEGIFICATION fQrming part of Letters Patent N 0. 661,826, dated November 13, 1900.

Application filed Februaryj, 1200. Serial No. 4,386. \No model.) i

T at whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEO STEVENS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, boroughof Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Controllable Balloon, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in the construction and arrangements of parts by which I am enabled to provide an effective controllable balloon,a car being provided for carrying passengers and freight and the car having propelling and steering devices for guiding the movement of the balloon, a gas-envelop and parachute attachment being provided to sustain the car.

This specification is the disclosure of one form of the invention, while the claims define the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention. of one of the propellers. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the car, and Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the apparatus.

The gas bag or envelop 5 may be of any desired construction and is preferably of the shape shown. This bagis covered by netting, and to the netting are attached a number of ropes or cords 6, which pass downward from the gas-bag and are joined to a longitudinallydisposed beam '7, whereby the beam is supported from the gas-bag. Owing to the connection of the ropes or cords 6 with the beam 7 and gas-bag 5 the gas-bag is held with a certain degree of rigidity and caused always to lie in approximate parallelism with the beam. Attached to certain of the ropes or cords 6 and situated beneath the gas-bag 5 is a parachute 8, which is elongated longitudinally of the machine and curved transversely, so as to present a concave under side. This parachute is stayed or guyed by ropes or cords 9,

passing from its side edges downward and in-' ward to the beam 7. The parachute is thus held in parallelism with the beam and with the gas-bag. As the balloon moves ahead or astern' in the plane of the parachute 8 the Fig 2 is a detail section of the gearing- .car 11.

parachute will offer no resistance to the movement ofthe balloon; but should the balloon begin to drop the parachute will tend to retard thismovement and will insure a gradual fallof the apparatus even should control of the ballon be entirely lost.

Con nected rigidly with the beam 7 by means of a suitable framing 10 is a car 11, which is preferably elongated, as shown, and which may be of any desired construction, provided with doors and windows, as shown. WVithin this car 11 is contained a suitable motor, (not shown,) which serves to drive a bow propeller 12 and side propellers 14. The bow propeller 12 is carried on a suitable shaft 15, passing into the car and suitably connected with the motor. As shown in Fig. 2, the side propellers 14 are respectively carried on short shafts 16, mounted on ball -bearings 17 in a tubular frame-piece 18, rigidly connected with the car 11 by braces 19. These shafts 16 respectively carry bevel-gears 20, meshing with like gears 21 on shafts 22. The shafts 22 are mounted on ball-bearings 23 in a tubular frame-piece 2 and the frame-pieces 24 and 18 are connected by a gear-ease 25, covering the gears and 21. The shafts 22 are connected with the motor within the car 11 in any suitable manner, so as to be driven thereby. The propellers l2 and 14 serve to propel the balloon, causing it to move through the air, the apparatus being suspended meanwhile by the gasbag 5. The balloon is guided upward or downward by means of a weight 26, which is mounted in any suitable manner to slide longitudinally on the beam 7. This weight is provided at each end with a rope or cord 27, the ropes passing over sheaves 28, attached, respectively, to the'ends of the beam 7 ,and from these sheaves 28 the ropes 27 pass down into the By means of the ropes 27 the weight 26 may be moved along the beam. Should the weight 26 be moved ahead, it is clear that it will depress the bow or front of the appa-- ratus, thusinclining downward the parachute 8. Then as the balloon is propelled ahead the parachute will cause the apparatus to move to a lower plane. Should it be desired to elevate the apparatus, the weight 26 should be moved rearward, thus depressing the stern of the apparatus, and forward movement thereof will result in raising the balloon. The

balloon may be steered toward each side by a rudder 29, which may be construct-ed ofany suitable material sufficiently light and strong.

I prefer to construct the rudder of sail-cloth, 1

fastened at its foot to a support 30 and at its head to a spar 31, the former being pivotally attached to the stern of the car 11 and the latter being pivotally attached to the rear end the gear-cases 25, and from these sheaves 33 5 a the ropes 32 pass into the car 11, where they may be connected with anysuitable mechanism for operating them. By throwing the rudder to one side or the other it is clear that the balloon may be guided sidewise in either direction. v

It will be understood that all of the parts of this apparatus should be constructed of the lightest possible material consistent with the necessary strength. I do not limit myself to the material or to the manner of constructing these elements. For example, the parachute 8 may be constructed of a light sheathing of aluminium or of a stout frame having canvas strained over it. The beam 7 may betubular, if desired, or it may be at any point desired without requiring the use of a workshop or the like.

Having thus described my invention, I

beam.

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters -Patent 1 v 1. In aerial navigation, the combination of a gas-bag, a parachute mounted below the same, a beam suspended from the gas-bag below the parachute, a car supported from the beam, propelling devices carried by the car, and a weight mounted on the beam andadjustable longitudinally thereof, for the purpose specified; '2. A controllable balloon, comprising agas envelop, a rigid beam arranged below the same and extending longitudinally thereof, flexible connections between the gas-envelop and the beam to sustain the beam from the gas-envelop, a parachute, the middle portion of which is fastened to the said connections, the parachnteextending outward from opposite sides thereof, connections between the side edges of the parachute and the said beam, and a carv provided with driving and controlling devices, the car being supported from the 3. A controllable balloon, comprising a car, a beam mounted above the same and extending longitudinally thereof, means for rigidly connecting the beam with the car, an elongated gas'envelop arranged above the beam and extending longitudinally thereof, and flexible connections between the beam and gas-envelop, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence-of two subscribing witnesses.

LEO STEVENS. [n s.]

JACOB A. Simon. 

